Match-box.



R. DINGWELL.

MATCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULYI, 1911.

1,026,976. Patented May 21, 1912.

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R. DINGWELL.

MAT OH BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUEL DIN GWELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO ALBERTA. THOMPSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MATCH-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 1, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912.

Serial No. 636,356.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUEL DINGWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Match-Boxes; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to match boxes.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a match boxwhich includes means whereby the delivery of matches therefrom iseifected singly.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a matchbox of the single delivery type in which pressure is brought to bearupon the head of the match during its delivery to effect the ignitionthereof and which will hold the match after the delivery of the latterto a point exterior of the box until said match is manually withdrawn.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thedetails of construction and in the arrangement and combination of partsto be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation of a match box embodying the invention, Fig. 2, alongitudinal section of what is shown in Fig. 1 with the match ejectingplunger shown in the position it would occupy before removal from thebox, and a quantity of matches being further shown disposed within thebox above said plunger, Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 2 with theejecting plunger removed and one of the matches within the box disposedin position to be engaged by the ejecting plunger when the latter isreinserted, Fig. 4:, a view similar to Fig. 3 with the ejecting plungerinserted and one of the matches ignited and forced exteriorly of the boxby said plunger, Fig. 5, a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1, Fig. 6, adetail perspective view of the ejecting plunger partly in section, Fig.7, a side elevation of a match box showing a modified form of theinvention, and with a match ignited and partially ejected, Fig. 8, anenlarged section on the line 8--8 of Fig. 7, and Fig. 9, a detailperspective view of the cover plate.

Referring to the drawings, the device is shown as comprising a casing 10which is substantially elliptical in cross section as shown in Fig. 5,the lower side of said casing being so shaped as to form a channel 11extending from end to end of the casing. One end of the casing 10 isclosed as at 12 while the other end thereof is provided with a reducedextension 13 between the walls of which above the channel 11 is a solidportion 1 1 provided with a curved passage 15 one end of which isdirected into the channel 11 while the other end opens through the upperside of said solid portion at the inner end thereof. The end of thecasing 10 above the solid portion 14 is closed by a detachable coverplate 16 having its upper side provided with an angular arm 17 whichoverlies the top of the match box while its lower side is provided witha spring stem 18 which passes through the passage 15, when the coverplate is in closing position, and has its free end terminating in anenlarged toothed portion 19 extending across the channel 11. By thisconstruction it will be apparent that the cover plate 16 and the partsassociated therewith may be disen gaged from the match box by a movementof the cover plate transversely of the box as will be apparent.

The matches M are adapted to be ejected by means of a plunger 20 movablein the channel 11 and having one end thereof provided with an enlargedhead 21 while the other end is provided with a longitudinally directedrecess 22. When the plunger is in the position shown in Fig. 2 the head21 is disposed in a cutaway portion 23 in the easing so as to afford asubstantially uninterrupted end to the match box at that point.

In use the cover plate 16 and associated parts are disengaged from thebox and matches M supplied to the interior of the latter. The coverplate is then reapplied which will of course position the toothedenlargement 19 across the delivery end of the channel 11. The plunger 20is then withdrawn fro-m the box and one of the matches will drop underthe influence of gravity into the channel 11. The plunger 20 is theninserted into the channel 11 and the stem of the match in-the channelwill seat in the re cess 22. Further movement of the plunger will forcethe head of the match against the toothed enlargement 19 and lift said.enlargement to allow the passage of the match head eXt-eriorly of thebox. During the lifting of the toothed enlargement 19 to permit thepassage of the match sufficient friction will be created to ignite thehead *of the latter. The plunger 20 is then fully in sert-ed in the boxas shown in Fig. 4: and the match ejected thereby will remain seated inthe recess 22 until manually removed. This operation is repeatedwhenever it is desired to withdraw a match from the box.

In the modified form of construction illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 theplunger 20 is dispensed with and the side walls of the channel 11provided with corresponding longitudinal slots 24 and 25. Disposedexteriorly of the box and embracingthe Walls of the channel 11 is aU-shaped spring mem-' ber 26 the free ends of the arms of whichterminate in inwardly bent prongs 27 and A movement of the spring 26 inthe proper direction longitudinally of the box will then effect theejection and ignition ofv the match engaged thereby as will be apparent.

That is claimed is: v

In a match boX, a casing having one side thereof provided with alongitudinal channel to receive a single match from the interior of thecasing, and being further provided with a relatively thick wall closingthe intermediate portion of one end of the casing, said wall beingprovided with a passage extendlng from s1de to slde thereof, a resilientbarrier comprismg an intermediate stem portion disposed in said passageand enlarged end portions one of which is roughened and disposed acrossthe channel on one side of the wall for frictioning against the matchhead and the other serving to close the end of the casing on the otherside of the thickened wall, and means for forcing a match longitudinallyof the channel so as to lift the roughened end of the barrier and ejectthe match exteriorly of the casing.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

RUEL DINGIVELL. Witnesses:

JOHN MoDoNALD, B. G. RICHARDS.

Jopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

